target-date funds

The appeal of target-date funds is obvious. Decide when you'll need your money back, and the fund invests accordingly: aggressively at first, more conservatively as the "target" approaches. But it's not so simple: Different funds can give you dramatically different performance.

Target-date funds are probably better than defaulting to a money market fund or throwing darts to pick your 401(k) options. But like any heavily hyped investment, these things are flawed. Extremely flawed. Let me count the ways:

More workers now have access to professional retirement planning advice through their employers' 401(k) providers, but three-quarters of them aren't taking it. Here's a guide to making the best use of that free, unbiased advice and tips on what to ask the financial planners.

The investment world's love affair with all things ETF did not wane in 2010, as their share of the market rose to $940 billion. But popular doesn't mean easy, and it doesn't always mean profitable. Along with the best and the worst performers, a few reminders about how to use these popular investment vehicles safely.